Good and Evil and Other Stories

A bit mislead by some early reviews, I went into this expecting some form of uncanny literary horror, but actually this excellent collection by Samanta Schweblin doesn’t have any speculative elements at all – unlike some of her earlier work. Psychological horror does fit as a moniker though, and fans of Shirley Jackson better read on.

I have no idea why Schweblin okayed a non-literal translation of the original title 'El Buen Mal' – The Good Evil – but somehow 'Good and Evil and Other Stories' might even be more fitting. While in some of the stories one could say the bad stuff that happens might have some positive side effects, the overall tone of this lean collection is more one without judgement either way.

'Welcome to the Club' is haunting in its juxtaposition of a suicide attempt and daily family life. Schweblin, like in the rest of the collection, uses a precise but easy language, without fluff, to great effect.

'A Fabulous Animal' reeks of Nietzsche’s horse story, and Schweblin expertly doses information – quickly informing the reader about the inevitable, but she somehow manages to make the inevitable hit like a hammer later on. There’s lots of children in this collection, and their frailty is an excellent vessel for all our fears as readers.

'William in the Window' apparently is autobiographic, and if so, its honesty commands respect. The suffering of others, even loved ones, brings out egoistic thoughts in all of us.

'An Eye in the Throat' is an absolute gem, and explores how the relationship between a parent and a child isn’t always ideal. Sometimes things break. There’s guilt, and expectation management and bad luck. The perspective work in this story is exceptional, as is Schweblin’s psychological wisdom.

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Full review on Weighing A Pig